Oblique railway-crossing



{No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. S. J. AUSTIN.

OBLIQUE RAILWAY GROSSING.

Patented Feb. 5, 1895.

Alf/ties- (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

/ S. J. AUSTIN.

OBLIQUE RAILWAY CROSSING.

No. 533,775. Patented Feb. 5, 1895.

iE HI I WM UNITED STATEs ATEN'i @ri icet STEPHEN J. AUSTIN, OF TIER-RE HAUTE, INDIANA.

OBLIQUE RAILWAY-CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,775, dated February 5, 1895.

Application filed March 10, 189 1 fierial No. 503,110. (No model.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STEPHEN J. AUSTIN, of Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Oblique Railway- Crossings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide means whereby in an oblique crossing a continuous track is presented to the tread of the car wheels on either track at will.

The invention consists in the combination of revolubly mounted track sections each comprising two rails connected together, one of said track sections being in alignment with one of the approaching tracks, the remaining section being out of alignment with the remainin g track, a cam located adjacent to, and adapted to alternately act upon said two track sections, rods respectively connecting said cam with two of the rails of said sections, and mechanism adapted for mechanical or manual actuation, whereby said cam is operated to conjunctively adjustably position said track sections at angles relative to each other and relative to the alignment of the tracks.

This invention relates to and is an improvement on the device described in my application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 503,109, filed March 10, 1894:.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figures I and II are plan views, in diiferent positions. Figs. III and IV are sections on lines IIIIII and IV-IV, of Figs. I and II, respectively,

In the construction of the device as shown, the numerals 10, 11, designate sleepers located on opposite sides of what is termed the main track, and in alignment with the rigid rails 12,13, of said main track. Rail sections 14, 15, are pivoted at their respective centers on the sleepers 10, 11, by means of pivots described in the aforementioned application, said rail sections being adapted for alignment with the main track rails, and connected with each other at points approximately midway between their pivots and the adjacent ends of the approaching main track rails by means of a rod 16.

Transverse sleepers 17, 18, are located on opposite sides of what is termed the transverse track, and in alignment with the rigid rails 19, 20, of said track, and at oblique angles to the main track and the main sleepers 10, 11.

Transverse rail sections 21, 22, are pivoted at their respective centers on the sleepers 17, 18, by means of pivots described in the aforementioned application, said rail sections being adapted for alignment with the transverse track rails and connected with each other at points approximately midway between their pivots and the adjacent ends of the said transverse track rails, by means of a rod 23.

A cam 24 is mounted in one corner of the approximate rhomboid formed by the rail sections, and is provided with arms 25, 26, respectively alternately engaging the webs of the adjacent rail sections and tending to hold said engaged section in alignment with the desired track rails.

Rods 27, 28, are pivotally connected with the flanges of the respective rail sections adjacent to the cam 24 at one end and to pins 29, 30, mounted in said cam at the other end, a slotted bearing 31 being provided in each of the rods 27, 28, for the said pins.

Lever mechanism is connected with the outer end of the cam 24, which may be actuated either manually from a switch stand, or mechanically by the car wheels; but in either instance such actuation of the lever mechanism toward the left hand in the direction of the arrow in Fig. I would oscillate the cam 24, causing the arm 25 on said cam to engage the web of the rail section 1 1 and force said secticn revolnbly into alignment with the main track rail 12, the rail section 15 being simultaneously brought into alignment with the main track rail 13 by reason of the connection between said sections formed by the rod 16. Duringthe movement just described, the pins 29, 30, travel in the bearings 31, and upon the contact of the pin 30 with the end of its bearing, said pin exerts a draft upon the rod 28, which rotatably moves the rail section 21 out of alignment with the transverse rail 19, the rail section 22 being simultaneously therewith moved out of alignment with the transverse rail 20 by reason of the connection formed by the rod 23. The above operation brings the parts to the position shown in Fig. I.

It is obvious that a reverse movement of the cam 24 by means of the lever mechanism, would result in a reverse positioning of the rail sections, and the establishment of a continuous track on the transverse line, which position is shown in Fi II.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. An oblique railway crossing comprising a plurality of revolubly mounted track sections, each having two connected rails, one of said track sections being in alignment with one of the approaching tracks, the remaining section being out of alignment with either track, a cam located adjacent to said track sections and adapted to alternately engage said track sections respectively, rods connect ing said cam with the said sections, and means for oscillating said cam,

2. An oblique railway crossing comprising a plurality of revolubly mounted track sections, each having two connected rails, one of 7 said track sections being in alignment with one of the approaching tracks, the remaining section being out of alignment with either track, a cam located adjacent to said track sections and adapted to alternately engage said track sections respectively, rods connecting said cam with the said sections, slots formed in the ends of said rods adjacent to said cam, pins on said cam traveling in said slots, and lever mechanism whereby said cam is oscillated.

STEPHEN J. AUSTIN.

In presence of A. M. EBERSOLE, O. G. EDUARDS. 

